Tanning Nasal Sprays Are Dangerous Says Young Eyelash Artist Who Says Her Skin Was ‘Ruined’ — Protect Your Skin

Caitlin wrote alongside her tell-all TikTok post, featuring photos of how her skin looked before and after using tanning nasal sprays, “Not a lash related post, but need to spread more awareness on the dangers of taking tanning nasal sprays.

“I was a very big advocate for them on my instagram as they made me feel so good about myself (to start with). But although I had a tan, I feel that (looking back now) I had aged 10 years, and my skin was so painful and bumpy. They have side affects that no one knows about (because they’re not studied!), and affect your hormones in order to give you a deeper tan.”

She concluded, “There could even be fertility or other health issues that come with using them – they can do such drastic things to your skin color, so who knows what would happen inside your body?

“It is not worth it and I truly feel like I looked better, healthier and more glowy before I started taking them.”

In the post, featuring a compilation of photos with a short text blurb, Caitlin explained where she was in her nasal spray journey, first recounting how she had “perfect skin” in May 2021 but “not much of a tan going on,” but felt confident enough to go out without any makeup on.

In June, Caitlin bought nasal sprays because she “wanted to be more tanned,” noting the inhalants worked “very well” after two UV tanning bed sessions.

However, in July, she began noticing “super oily” skin, and likened her change in skin type to the weather, as she continued using the nasal sprays.

Then in August, Caitlin began noticing “bump/textured” skin and didn’t feel “youthful” anymore.

Despite her change in appearance, Caitlin said she still felt she looked good overall, with a tan body.

It wasn’t until two months later that small spots started showing up on her skin. By November, she had “very bad” and “super painful” acnem, which she described as “so sore” in December.

By February 2022, Caitlin’s acne persisted and she attempted to use retinoids to get rid of the acne, which made her face look pale.

She admitted she thought her acne was likely due to the nasal sprays in April 2022, but she didn’t want to stop using then, until May of that year.

When Caitlin “completely” stopped using the nasal sprays she noticed her skin was less sore with minimal inflammation. By June she was “left mostly with scarring” and chose to undergo micro needling sessions.

She wrote at the end of her video, with much clearer skin, “December 2023 (now) Pale AF, still some surface scarring but I’m glad I didn’t get left with any deep scars.

“Please don’t do it, it does dodgy things to your hormones and no one knows the long term side effects. After a year of taking those nasals, I don’t think my hormones have even properly recovered.”

It’s important to note there are no tanning pills, shots, nasal sprays and accelerators that have been approved by the FDA for tanning purposes among the general public. According to the American Cancer Society:

• Tanning pills “may cause injury and impair vision” or potentially lead to “liver and skin problems.”
• Tanning shots (injections under the skin) and nasal sprays “may cause nausea, vomiting, or other side effects, and some reports have also suggested they might increase the risk of melanoma skin cancers.”
• Tanning accelerators, like lotions or pills that contain the amino acid tyrosine or its derivatives, “do not work and may be dangerous.”

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“Studies have shown that exposure to tanning beds increases the risk of skin cancer and ocular cancer,” Dr. Lynn A. Cornelius, the chief of the division of dermatology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, previously told SurvivorNet.

“It also induces changes that lead to premature aging of the skin. There is no ‘safe’ tanning bed.”

Although it’s unclear what age Caitlin Deller is, it’s important to note there’s a shocking statistic about tanning bed use among young women showing that more than 50% of teen girls, aged 16 or younger, who use tanning beds go to the tanning salon with their mothers— something which shows how skin cancer prevention must start at home.

A few years back, during an appearance on the Today Show to discuss the statistics, Dr. Natalie Azar said awareness needs to start with teens.

“The points that the dermatologists are trying to hit home is really two-fold,” Dr. Azar said. “One is that we need to be doing a much better job of educating young women about this, and also to remember there’s a latency. If you lay out today, you’re not going to get skin cancer tomorrow. That skin cancer is going to come years down the pike.””

When asked about tips for young women regarding skin safety, Dr. Azar said “It’s about educating young people. When you have little ones, you’re doing it yourself. You’re slathering on [sunscreen]. Once your kids get to be the age when they can understand the risks, you need to be having this conversation with them.”

We’re delighted to see Caitlin Deller using her experience to help raise awareness of the dangers of sunbed tanning and nasal sprays, as hopefully she ill inspire others to make healthier choices regarding skin health.

The Dangers of UV-Blasting Sunbeds

Tanning can be addictive. According to the American Academy of Dermatology, some people find it hard to stop and even feel fidgety or depressed when they don’t get a steady dose of UV rays.

RELATED: Half of Teen Tanning Salon Customers Go With Their Moms Part of Massive Increase in Skin Cancer

But avoiding tanning beds, booths or sun lamps is perhaps the easiest way to reduce your risk of developing skin cancer. In case you need real evidence on why these practices are so bad, consider the following stats from the American Academy of Dermatology and the Skin Cancer Foundation:

• Indoor tanning can increase the risk of developing a type of skin cancer called squamous cell carcinoma by 58%.
• Indoor tanning can increase the risk of developing a type of skin cancer called basal cell carcinoma by 24%.
• Using tanning beds before age 20 can increase your chances of developing melanoma, the deadliest type of skin cancer, by 47%.
• Just one indoor tanning session before age 35 increases the risk of developing life-threatening melanoma by 75%.
• Women younger than 30 are six times more likely to get melanoma if they tan indoors.
• The risk of developing melanoma increases with each sunbed use.
• Research shows that even people who do not burn after indoor tanning or sun exposure are at an increased risk of melanoma if they tan indoors.
• Indoor tanning is associated with an increased risk for more than one melanoma diagnosis in a person’s lifetime.

Examining Your Skin for Melanoma: Remember ABCDE

Overall, know that skin cancer experts warn against any amount of sunbed use.

Dr. Anna Pavlick, a medical oncologist at Weill Cornell Medicine, says the UV-blasting beds increase your chances of melanoma “exponentially.”

Tanning Salons Pose a Big Risk for Skin Cancer

“We know there is a direct correlation with [melanoma] patients who go to indoor tanning salons,” Dr. Pavlick told SurvivorNet.

She explained that the exposure to harmful UVA/UVB rays “is about 6 inches from your body” when you hop into a sunbed as opposed to being thousands of miles away when you’re sitting on a beach.

“So you have to think of the intensity that you’re exposing your skin to when you go to a tanning salon,” Dr. Pavlick said.

Top 5 Ways to Protect Your Skin From Skin Cancer

That being said, you shouldn’t lather on the oil and sit outside with zero sun protection either. The sun is not your friend when it comes to skin cancer risk, and dermatologist Dr. Dendy Engelman recommends you do the following things to protect yourself from skin cancer

• Try to avoid the sun during the peak hours of 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.. This advice doesn’t mean you should never go outdoors in the middle of the day, but it does mean you should protect your skin when you do.
• Wear a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses to protect the top of your head, the tops of your ears and the sensitive area around the eye.
• Wear at least SPF 30 sunscreen daily (all year long).
• Reapply your sunscreen every two hours or after swimming or excessive sweating.
• Get yearly skin checks with a professional since it’s difficult to evaluate all of the body ourselves.

Alternatives to the Beds

If achieving a golden glow is important to you, like it was to Caitlin Deller, consider safer alternatives to indoor or outdoor tanning.

“Spray tans and sunless tanning lotions are safe,” Dr. Lynn A. Cornelius said. “One should take precautions not to inhale the product when getting a spray tan. Skin allergic reactions are rare.”

Although spray tans are a much safer alternative to tanning beds and “even have a very mild sunscreen effect,” Dr. Craig Elmets, professor in the Department of Dermatology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine, previously told SurvivorNet that not much is known about the side effects. In addition, know that having a spray tan should never replace sunscreen use.

“Not a lot is known about the side effects, but there is very limited absorption and they have been available for decades without any reports of serious side effects, which is reassuring,” he said.

Self-tanning pills are another option for people seeking a tan, but they are not FDA-approved or endorsed by dermatologists. Dr. Elmets says they have also been associated with allergic reactions and systemic side effects.

Contributing: SurvivorNet Staff

Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.

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